Nam Khane watershed, in the Northern Laos, consists of limestone plateau surrounded with steep slope(above 1000m), wide piedmont hill land(300-700m) and narrow alluvial plain. Opium on the plateau and up-land rice on the hill-side are cultivated for e...
Nam Khane watershed, in the Northern Laos, consists of limestone plateau surrounded with steep slope(above 1000m), wide piedmont hill land(300-700m) and narrow alluvial plain. Opium on the plateau and up-land rice on the hill-side are cultivated for each, but its shifting agricultural activity, which degrades the forest and soil, has caused the serious environmental problems. MOS-1 satellite image and 40 points of soil samples are analyzed to identify the distribution of the shifting cultivation and to evaluate the environmental problems for Nam Khane watershed. The land use classification map is presented on the photo 2, and the value of each land use area by elevation level and soil property are showed on the table 2 and 3, respectively. Excessive agricultural activity of shifting cultivation in the Nam Khane watershed not only decreased the forest area, but also changed the primary forest of tree into secondary woodland of shrub. On the phase of soil property, it accelerated the soil and gully erosion, and acidification. To solve these environmental problems, the most important step is to settle the agriculture from shifting cultivation to permanent cropping.